Description

Various shots of a very picturesque village; a river and waterfall or weir is seen in the valley; a house with carved wooden features over the door; it looks like a valley in Switzerland.

Commentator tells us this hamlet is "famous the world over in cultural spheres as a centre of woodcarving and the home of a brilliant craftsman heralded as 'Master of the Gnomes'"; we see a building with a sign above the door reading 'The Gnome Woodcarver - Craftsman in Oak'; M/S of a carved wooden sign next to the building showing gnomes at work.

L/S of some buildings next to the river; we pan left to see Thomas Whittaker carving an eagle out of wood. C/U of a carved wooden gnome; various shots of Thomas working on the model. A finished eagle is seen in the background; C/U of detail on this carving.

C/U of a Yorkshire Rose carved on the back of a chair. Various shots of Thomas at work on a carved wooden bookend, featuring the head of Chopin. C/U of two wooden gnomes on the worktable.

C/U of one side of a gate closing; one side of the gate is carved with a chalice and candles, the other shows a church.

Note: on file are cameraman's notes; a magazine article about the 'Master of the Gnomes', and correspondence about the filming of the story.

10 telling images selected from British Pathé's extensive WWI footage. 'The war to end all wars' was a war without parallel: over 70 million military personnel were involved and over 17 million people died.